Amusement device.



110. 849,970. .y PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

Y P. BoYToN.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27, 1904.

8 SHEETS-HEERE 3.

PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

P. BOYTON. AMUSBMENT DEVICE.

.urmculon FILED 11110.27', 1-904.

EETS-SHBBT 4.

- PATBNTED APR. 9, 1907.

LBOYTON.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27, 1904.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

PATBNTED APR. 9, 1907.

` P.B0YT0N. AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

l APPLICATION FILED AUG.27, 1904.

@SHEETS-SHEET 6.

P. BOYTON. AMUSEMBNT DEVICE.'

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 27, 1904.

s sums-SHEET a.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIeE.

l PAUL BOYTON, OF LOUIS, MISSOURI. l l

'AMus'EMl-:N'r pEvicE.

' lSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed August 27. 1904. Serial No. 222,441.

Toall whom, it may concern:

zen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis, Stateof Missouri; have invented'certain new and useful Improvements inAmusement Devices, of which the following is a specification containinga full,

` clear, and exact description, reference being vzo had yto theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in amusement devices, and consistsof the novel features herein 'shown and described and claimed. l

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation ofa complete Aamusementdevice embodying the princi les of my inventionl as seen looking in theirection indicated by the arrow 1 in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top lan view asseen looking in the direction in icated by the arrow 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3is an enlarged detail of one of the tilting turn-tables and the means ofoperating the same, the parts being broken away to economize space. Fig.4 is a view analogous toA Fig. 3, upon a larger scale, parts beingomitted to more clearly show the other parts. Fig. 5 is a side elevationof the parts shown in Fig. 4 as seen looking in the direction indicatedby the arrow 5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6'is an enlarged cross-section substan-`tially on the lines 6 6 of Fig. 7. enlarged sectional elevation at thelower end of the chute and `taken substantially on lines 7 7 of Fig. 6.Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1 andlooking in the direction indicated by the arrow. 9 is an enlargedsectional elevation on the line 9 9 of Fig. 4 and looking inthedirection in'dicated by the arrow. Fig. 10 is a perspective of the rearend of one ofthe boats and showing the connection between the boat andthe cable which runs the boat uphill. Fig.' 11 is an enlarged detailperspective of the dog shown on Fig.'A 10 removed from the boat. Fig. 12is an enlarged detail perspective of the means of operating theturning-tables, Qthgrj par.ts,peingbroken away: "Fig 13 is an en argeddetail perspective of the means of sto plng the turning-tables inalinement withlille' tracks.' Fig. 14 is a cross-section showing thefriction driving mechanism whereby the turning-tables are started andstopped. Fig. 15 is a sectional detail.

AMy mrproved amusement device is of the type known as shoot the chutes,my object being to economize space in the. con- Fig. 7 is an structionof such a device, to increase the speed of operation, and to improve thedetailsof construction.

Referring tothe drawings in detail, the 6o platform 20 is mounted upon asuitable scaffolding 21. The inside tracks 22 and 23 lead from theplatform 20Y to points below the water-leve 24, and the boats 25 coastdown these tracks. The outer tracks 26 -and 27 lead from the water tothe platform 20,'the lines followed by the outer tracks near their upperends! being higher. than the inner tracks, as clearly shown in Fig.e 1.Endless chains 28 and 29 operate between the rails of the tracks 26 and27 to form carriers to carry the boats from the water up the tracks 26and 27 to the platform.

` The device yshown is a double-track mechvanism, there being two`tracks down andtwo tracks up, the tracks 22 and 26 forming one pair andtracks 23 and 27 forming the other pair. A turn-table 30'is mounted uponthey pair of rails 37 and 38', mounted in a similar manner. The frontside.of the platform 20, under the tracks 22 and 23, is lowered, ardnotches 39 and 40 are cut in the tum-table, so that when the rails uponthe turn-tablev are in alinement with the rails of track 23 said railsmay tilt, as shown in Fig. 5, to bring the forward ends of therailsvupon the turntable into inclined alinement with the ends of the railsof the track 23, so that the boat may slide down the track to the water.In constructing the latform 20 a timber 41 is located under eacturn-table anda bearingblock 42 is placed upon the timber. The

ivot 43 of the turn-table operates in the caring-block 42. mounted uponthe timber 41 and upon other timbers'. A suitable frame hasarms radiatiing from the plivot 43, and wheels 46 are j ourn aled upon t e outerends of these arms in position to travel upon 'the track 44. A Itrack47, similar to track 44, is mounted upon the wheels 46, and theturn-table is built and supported upon the track 47 and upon the ivot43, said turn-table consisting of suitab e framework 48, supporting theIOO A circular track 44 is l ITO ivot 35. The base .49 of thisturn-table horizontally and vhaving a groove 50 in its periphery toreceive the cable 51. The means of tilting the turn-table trackseachcomprise a shaft 52, mounted v transversely of the tilting frame uponone side of the pivot 35; a similarshaft 53 upon the opposite side ofthe pivot; links 54 and 55, connected together and connected to theshaft 52 and connected to a bearing-plate 56 upon a rigid partof theframe to form a toggle-joint con- `nection between that end of thetilting frame and the rigid frame links 57 and 58, connected to theshaft 53 and connected together andl connected to bearing-blocks 59,secured to a rigid part of the frame, so as to form to gle-jointconnections between that end of the tilting frame and the rigid frame;an oprerating-shaft 60, mounted upon the rigidl of the tilting frame;crank-arms 61, extending downwardly from the shaft 60 g connectingrods62, connecting the lower ends of the crank-arms lto the central pivot ofthe links 54 and 55; connecting-ro'ds 63, connecting the lower ends ofthe crank-arms 61 tothe cen-` tral pivots of the links 57 and 58, and ano erating-lever 64 u on the outer end of tlllje shaft 60, so that w enthe tilting frame is in a horizontal position the toggle-joint formed bythe levers 57 and` 58 is straight and the toggle-joint formed by levers54 and 55 is bent and so thatA when the toggle -joint formed by levers54 and 55 is straight and the other toggle-joint bent the tilting frameis in an incline position and the tracks upon the frame are in inclinealinement with the chute-tracks 22 or 23. The means of operating theturn-tables comprise for each turntable a crank-shaft 65, mounted inbearings `66; an eccentric 67, ixed upon the crank-shaft between thebearings; a sleeve 68, rotatably mounted upon the eccentric; afriction-wheel 69, fixed upon the sleeve; grooved drivingpulleys 70,fixed upon the sleeve; a drivingshaft 71, mounted parallel with thecrankshaft a driving-pulley 72 upon the driving-shaft; the driving-belt73 upon the pulleys; the friction drive-wheel 74 upon the shaft 71'in'position to be engaged by the friction-wheel 69; the shifting-lever75, pivotally mounted; the connecting-'rod 76, connecting the lever 75to the crank 77 upon the prank-shaft 65; the counter-shaft 78, and thepulleys 79 upon the counter-shaft, together with the cable 51, operatingin the groove 50, running over the pulleys and 79 two or more times andover the guide-pulley 80, so that when the lever is operated in onedirecti'on the friction-wheel 69 Will beplaced.l

against the friction drive-wheel 74, thereby rotating the wheel 69,driving the pulleys 70, and moving the cable 51 and rotating theturn-table and so that when the lever is opame near the pivot 35 andtransversely lerated in the opposite direction the frictionwheel will bedisconnected and the turn-table stopped.

In order that the tracks upon the turntable may be brou ht into exactalinement with the chute-trac s, itis necessar to stop the turn-tablesprecisely in the rig t place, and the means for accomplishing this endcomprise a plate 81, mounted u on the turntable and having a slot 82;the atcb-housing 83, mounted upon the frame; the latch 84, slidinglymounted in the housing in position to engage in the slot 82; thebell-crank lever 85 for pivotal y mounted, vand the connecting-rod 87,connecting the hand-lever to the bellcrank lever, Aso that when thehand-lever is moved in one direction the latch 84 will engage in theslot and stop the turn-table and so that when the lever is moved in theopposite direction the latch will be withdraw-n to 'release theturn-table. l

The levers 64 are mounted near the center of the turn-table, and a manis to be stationed at this point for operating these levers. The levers75 and 86 are mounted upon the platform outside of the turn-table, asshown in Fig. 3, there being a pair of these levers for each turn-table,Aand a man is stationed in place to operate these levers, there beingone man upon each side of the platform for this purpose. The mechanismis all driven from the motor 88. The chains 2 8 and 29 are operated in aguideway formed by the plates 89 and 90, so as to keep the chains frommoving laterally. The means of connecting the boats to the chains isshown in detail in Figs. 10 and 11 and comprises an attaching-plate 91,secured to the rear end of the boat 25, the swinging plate 92, hinged tothe attachingplate, and the dog 93, secured to the swinging plate 92 andextending below the bottom of t e boat, the lower end of said dog beingbent backwardly to form a hook, so that when the boat floats into thepath of the chain the dog will drop down between the side bars of thechain and hook under one of the cross-bars between the side bars 94 and95 and hook under one of the cross-bars 96, so that as the chain movesup the incline the boat will be carried upon the track. At the lowerends of the tracks 26 and 27 there are I l I guide-rails 97 and 98 toguidethe boatgintop.

position to be engaged by the "chain, framework supporting thetracks anis shown in Figs. 6 and 7. -v

The

olperating the latch; the hand-lever 86, I

IIO

When the boat standing -cornparatively` .93 connects the chain While theboat is in motion, thereby reducing the shock to the occupants of theboat. 'The tongs 104 may be carried by the operator into the boat andlaid upon t e` platform convenient for the use of other operators. Bythe use of the, tongs it is not necessary that the boat be squarelyTover the cable. If the tongs were rigidly secured to the boat for thepurpose of engaging the cable, i't would be necessary that the boat bebrought accurately into line with the cable, whereas with the use ofthedisconnected tongs the cable maybe at either side of the boat oranywhere within reach of the operator.

The details of construction may be Widely varied, as it is onlynecessary to have the movin" cable and a pair of tongs for gripping thecable, so as to start the boat toward 0r up the incline before it isconnected to the chain. v

The operation of my improved' amusement device is as follows: Aseries ofboats is placed upon the water 24, the ymachinery is started, the boatsare floated into position between the guiderails 97 and 98 one at a timefor each pair of tracks. The passengers onpatrons step into the boats,the boats are brought into position to be connected tothe chains, andthe chains carry the boats up the inclined tracks 26 and 27. At theupper ends of these tracks the tilting platforms are in horizontalpositions in alinement with the tracks and the boats are carried ontothe platforms. Then van operator engages the handle 86 to release theturn-table, operates lthe lever 75 to rotate the turn-tables halff.

Way around, thus bringing the boat intoaline--v ment with thechute-tracks. The operation upon the turn-table operates the lever,ltilts the frame, and the'boat descends the chutetrack, and thisoperation goes on in rapid succession. By the use of the turn-tables and'the tilting frames it is possible toturn the boat and start it down theincline in a great deal less space and a great deal less time than hasvbeen accomplished by any of the old conv structions I call specialattentionto the fact that I take on the passengers at the lower ends ofthe incline and that the passengers are carried rapidly up the incline,quickly turned and shot down, and that with the exception i of theoperators necessary and the machinery necessary there is nothing uponthe platform 20-all of the patrons going and coming and Waiting are uponthe ground at the lower ends of the incline. This is a matter of great.importance in economy of space and in safety of operation. y

-I claim- In an amusement device, an inclined track, a turn-tablearranged for operation at the upper end of said track, a track arrangedon the turn-table and adapted to' coincide with the inclined track,locking-plates fixed on the turn-table at right angles to the trackthereon, a housing secured to the framework outside the turn-table, alocking-bolt operating through said housing and adapted to engage eitherone of the Alocking-plates, a bell-crank v having one end pivotallyconnected to the locking-bolt, arod pivotally connected at one -end tothe opposite end ofthe bell-crank, and

ALFRED A. EIoKs, M. M. BRAZIL'L, I

